Never used FW tank, need to sanitize for use next week, how?

NMDriver wrote:
Basically, put bleach into the tank and fill it, then pump the water into all your water lines-you should smell the bleach as it comes out of the faucet-let it set for 12-24 hours. Drain the tank and then refill with clean water and pump it to all the faucets until you DO NOT smell any bleach in the line. Top off the tank and you should be good to go. The amount of bleach for that big a tank should be around 1 cup. Quarter cup per 15 gallons is the general rule.

Great to know Thank you.

Thanks again for the help, guys! I filled the tank with a chlorine solution, ran the pump to get it into the water lines inside the rig, let it sit for a few hours, drained it, flushed with clean water, drained again, flushed with a baking soda solution, and drained it. I will wait to refill it at the campground. The temperature is supposed to get down to 4 degrees on Saturday night, and a high of only 21 degrees on Sunday, so I'm afraid we may really need the FW tank.

I have with me two or three gallon jugs that get filled with tap water from home and when I find a campground with good water. It is all in how the coffee tastes.

We have two filters, Wally world cartridge plus filter that came with the RV. We use City water which has clorine in it, I understand you have well water so that may be an issue with you? We wash, clean and cook with that water, not a problem! If a concern, bottled water for drinking and cooking is an option. Unless severly contanimated washing with the tank water should not be a problem.

If chlorine taste or odor persist use monosodium bisulfate to neutralise bleach/chlorine. Same stuff you put in a fish tank to neutralise chlorine in tap water. Should be able to get at Walmart or Petco. Be careful do not let gaskets set too long in hyperchlorine. Not good for them.

flyfishing48 wrote:
How do you get the bleach into the tank if it's not a gravity fill system?

Pour it into the hose, when you turn on the water it will push it into the tank.

Rather than straight bleach, I use the chlorine granules used in hot tubs, pools, etc. Just a teaspoon is all that is needed. I add it while I'm filling the tank, then run the entire tank full through the faucets and drain. Then fill the fresh water tank again and off i go (you can choose to do a second fill and drain with straight water if desired).

I did it to both my TT and clipper when I first bought them- haven't had to do them since. When I got the TT, it had the very stale, gross smell of a stagnant moldy tank - one cleaning and the water was as fresh as what comes out of my house faucet.

How do you get the bleach into the tank if it's not a gravity fill system?

After you get done sanitizing with bleach, if you have a hard time getting rid of the taste then dump 1 or 2 ounces of hydrogen-peroxide (very safe) in there and it will kill it.

I really don't understand why people are so squeamish about drinking water from the fresh water tank. Like robsouth said, we have been drinking the water from the fresh tank since 1993, only 22 years now, and have never had a problem. Until our 20-day trip last spring, we have almost never used FHU and used campground water. Didn't have a problem then either. We do take bottled water when we camp, but only use it once in a while, sometimes taking some on the boat with us when we fish as it's a little awkward to lean over the side of the boat to drink from the lake. Besides, you know what W. C. Fields said about water and fish.